By Tim Michell
LAUREN Caruso says leading Calder Cannons to the inaugural TAC Cup Girls premiership would be a dream come true.
Caruso, a member of Keilor’s under-18 team, was selected as the Cannons’ captain for the first season of the TAC Cup Girls competition.
Calder climbed to the top of the ladder with a 98-point win over Western Jets in Round 3 and retained pole position with hard-fought win over Oakleigh Chargers on Sunday.
Speaking on Calder’s radio program Pathway to the Top, which airs 5-6pm on Wednesdays on North West 98.9 FM, Caruso said she was stunned to be named the Cannons’ skipper.
“It was definitely a big surprise when I got announced as captain, I definitely got goosebumps,” Caruso said.
“I have really improved my confidence in interpersonal skills and it has given me lots of opportunity to get really close to my teammates, so I am so grateful.
“I just appreciate the opportunity to become captain.”
Calder will likely clinch the premiership if it defeats Bendigo Pioneers in its final match of the five-round campaign on Friday at Rams Arena.
The Cannons and Murray Bushrangers are the two sides still in the title race, although Calder’s percentage of 387.64 gives it a valuable cushion heading into the final round.
The Bushrangers have a percentage of 264 and will need the Cannons to drop their last match to claim the flag.
Quizzed about the prospect of leading Calder to glory, Caruso said: “It would be a lovely title (to be a premiership captain).”
Caruso, a former national level athlete, said she had relished working with a high-quality group of coaches including Collingwood AFLW vice-captain Alicia Eva and Jason Peak.
“It’s good having them as our coaches because they back us up when we are on the field,” she said.
“We know we can go hard and they will always have our backs.”
Calder’s match against Bendigo starts at 1pm on Good Friday.
Listen to the full interview with Lauren Caruso here: https://soundcloud.com/user-672228788/edited-lauren-caruso-interview
Last Modified on 11/04/2017 18:42
